Well impressed so far. The story is just brilliant, and the characters, after about 4 hours gameplay, are already a million times more deep and developed than in FFXII. Gameplay is fast and fun however Auto-Battle is a bittersweet addition, on the one hand it selects the best abilities for the situation wtch means easier battles but on the other hand it negates startegical thinking, I find myself sometimes accidently using it (it shouldn't be top of the menu) or tempted into using it during a difficult battle or because it's faster than selecting attacks manually. The Paradigm shift is very easy to get the hang of and can change battles immensly. Stacking abilities and breaking enemies so they take up to four or five times damage is a very good addition to the battle system.

One major thing that I am concerned about is the games length. I have played for around four hours and I am already on chapter 3/13. Also I checked my guide (which I will be using for a second playthrough) and it seems that for at least the first 8 or 9 chapters each chapter is simply one area :(

On a huge positive though, remember in FFVII, VIII, IX and X when you would have 10, 20 or even 30 minute story sections frequently? Well, they're back! So long lack lustre, poorly written FFXII, hello amazing, story driven FFXIII

BalambStudent

03-09-2010, 06:33 AM

this morning unfortuinatley I will have to wait until kids in bed to play it, by then everyone will be about 12 hours in and I justs tart..BOOO. Nevermind, I love my Twin girls lol. Looking forward to playing it.

superlusher

03-09-2010, 09:53 AM

i gots it too :) but im stuck in uni labs for another couple hours so i havnt played it yet! ahhghhggh

Liking all the character loads still, story is getting better and better. Only problem is I want towns.

EDIT: The graphics are incredible, each cutscene is just prefect beauty.

RikkuYunaRinoa

03-10-2010, 01:58 PM

Harkus I'm pretty sure the games length situation is going to be the same as XII. As in, 70% of it will be the side quests.

I've decided to play through it and try and go for a full completion first time. I know this means I'll finish it a lot later than most people. But there's the possibility I'll decide I want to finish it quick and I'll just make another save file, steam through on that and then I don't have to start all over again when I want to 100% it. (The first hour or 2 of every FF game seems to drag on for me. I just want to get right into the thick of it)

I really don't like that you can only control 1 character in the battles. The other people just seem like a waste. And with the auto-command option, it almost feels like a hack'n'slash fest at the moment. (I thought the Gambit system from XII was flawless, I think they should have kept that)

Graphics are superb. The dialogue is OK, some parts are much better than others. Seems consistency is an issue.

Anyway, I'll end the post here because I'm writing this whilst eating my tea and responding to emails, so there isn't any real structure to what I'm saying. Just a bundle of thoughts I can muster up

I'll post something more worthwhile when I get chance.

But yeah, I'm enjoying it. (not enjoying Snow's blond prepubescent beard though. It looks like something The Master would try to pass off as a beard)

aprilsrain

03-10-2010, 02:32 PM

Well impressed so far. The story is just brilliant, and the characters, after about 4 hours gameplay, are already a million times more deep and developed than in FFXII. Gameplay is fast and fun however Auto-Battle is a bittersweet addition, on the one hand it selects the best abilities for the situation wtch means easier battles but on the other hand it negates startegical thinking, I find myself sometimes accidently using it (it shouldn't be top of the menu) or tempted into using it during a difficult battle or because it's faster than selecting attacks manually. The Paradigm shift is very easy to get the hang of and can change battles immensly. Stacking abilities and breaking enemies so they take up to four or five times damage is a very good addition to the battle system.

One major thing that I am concerned about is the games length. I have played for around four hours and I am already on chapter 3/13. Also I checked my guide (which I will be using for a second playthrough) and it seems that for at least the first 8 or 9 chapters each chapter is simply one area :(

On a huge positive though, remember in FFVII, VIII, IX and X when you would have 10, 20 or even 30 minute story sections frequently? Well, they're back! So long lack lustre, poorly written FFXII, hello amazing, story driven FFXIII

The battle system's strategy is really in the paradigm shifts which makes the auto attacks more necessary. It gets way more complicated as the game progresses.

Also the chapters get much longer as the game progresses. The first 2 chapters are really tutorial in order for you to figure out the game, and the third is where it really starts to come into its own as a game.

That said, you're right it's a much more story driven game which is fantastic. Really loving it.

Oh, and I just found this site :) hi everyone!

iceberg325

03-10-2010, 04:58 PM

FF13 is a slow burn. The game spoon feeds you the battle system. You dont earn any experience till about the 3 hour mark. The game sort of thrusts you into this story without any real clue of whats going on. The characters seem decent so far. Vanille being the only annoying one. She seems to be the stereotypical jrpg girl.

I honestly do not miss the overworld or the towns and shops. I dont mind the game being streamlined but the level design is annoying, albeit beautiful. The game feels like its on rails.

Im about 5 hours in and so far, Im not too impressed. Im really hoping the game picks up soon. After playing Mass Effect 2, FF13 is sort of a downer so far.

Harkus

03-10-2010, 05:33 PM

I'm at the 10 hour mark right now. On the start of Chapter 7. Beginning to learn of Sazh's motivations and the like. Loving the whole Hope wanting to kill Snow sub plot, it's refreshing that one of the heroes hates another one, adds another layer I think, they don't all like get along all the time.

Seen Cid in an awesome cutscene. Not giving anything away but he's one of the better Cids, I love the fact his airship is called the Lindblum.

Still no antagonist. Shame really, it was the same with XII, vayne was barely in it and he was rubbish. Kefka, Sephiroth, Golbez, Kuja, Ultimecia and even Garland were classic villains. They had there own motivations and stories.

discodan

03-10-2010, 07:48 PM

i miss the towns and shops.... inns

Scryer

03-10-2010, 11:33 PM

I have XIII too, which will hinder my XII review a bit =P , and so far I am LOVING it.

If there is one thing that XII lacked (but could get away with) it was the outragous amount of cut scenes that XIII has. The story of XIII definitely didn't start out the way that I expected it to so that was a pleasant surprise =D. But yeah, if there is one thing that I do agree with, it is that the game feels a little too linear right now. The linearity is justified but it is a straight line so far.

I have to say, Lightning is badass! She is my favourite lead character so far since she is just a badass. I know, I'm using that word too much but the adjective really does her character justice =P .

I think that the battle system is okay.... I'm not too sure if I like it more than XII (I definitely like it more than X and VIII) but I would actually have to sit down and draw out the pros and cons in order to make a final judgement on this battle system vs. XII's battle system.

RikkuYunaRinoa

03-11-2010, 05:33 AM

I think XII's battle system is the best of the lot. The Gambit system made grinding pretty much effortless. And when you wanted to get more involved you could simply turn them off. I'm not enjoying basically hitting X until the battles end. I know you need to switch Paradigms every now and then. But that's really only when you need to heal someone. You can use potions but it's so easy to get into the habit of hitting X that it's easier to bring a medic in for 15 seconds then switch back. It seems potions are redundant.

I do like the Sphere Grid type character development system though. But so far I'm being forced to go in one direction. I hope it becomes more flexible as I progress.

Really liking the characters too. Vanille's dialogue makes me cringe at times, but It's not a deal breaker. (plus she's cute as hell so I forgive her:p). I think Lightning is going to turn out to be one of the best lead roles in any of the FF games to date. The way she has been portrayed is great. She makes Vaan look even worse than he actually was!

Harkus

03-11-2010, 06:48 AM

XII's battle system was flawless. I never used gambits for my character so it wan't like auto battling. Also XII had tons of side-quests, was very non-linear, and had TOWNS!!!!

But, and this is a big but, there were better characters in 2001: A space Odyssey than FFXII! Also the story was virtually non-existent. Now this didn't make me hate the game (it did initially) but it hindered my enjoyment of it, although I do really like the game. FFXII will undoubtedly have more replay value than FFXIII.

What FFXII lacks however FFXIII has in abundance, the story is constantly progressing and having cutscenes frequently is pretty awesome. characters are not the boring, lifeless vessels that they were in FFXII (with Basch and Balthier being the exceptions) but instead they are three-dimensional and interesting, creating connections with the player. FFXIII's battle system is really good I think (not as good as XII's) but yeah the auto-battle is annoying, go into settings and change ability to the default instead. The linearity is not bothering me that much, it would be nice to have some towns but it makes sense for the story to not have many, and to keep you moving when you're there.

topopoz

03-11-2010, 07:21 AM

No towns?, You mean, it's kind of a Dungeon Crawler?

Smarty

03-11-2010, 08:14 AM

I don't think so. Imagine it like an FFX just with no towns. I have no idea how that would work tbh.

Although the lack of towns does kind of make me curious as to how the game itself is. I really need a PS3... I think they were kind of experimenting with this game. We'll just see how it goes. It hasn't been released long enough for people to start reacting too intensely. There's bound to be some reactions sooner or later. Be it positive or negative ones.

superlusher

03-11-2010, 09:34 AM

has anyone found any side quests or anything at all that isnt just 'walk, fight, fmv' yet? im about 12hrs in, on disk2. i mean it is going to have a free-running half, not just a linear story right? this game seems to be all about the story and not much else. they really might as well have just made this a movie instead of a game.

i still looove it to bits though! the characters r sooo much better then ff12, and the graphics r amazing. the battles r nicely dynamic, but the leveling up system seems tacked on. ahh but weapon/ accesory upgrades r a nice idea.

achievements unlocking at the Start of chapters, not the end, seems odd. im really hoping theres gonna be some super-bosses when we finally get to have some free travel, if that ever happens...

CC

03-11-2010, 09:38 AM

Everytime I think I'm beginning to see some good sides to this game, someone says something that makes me think twice. . . . Think I'll wait to try it out first before buying.

RikkuYunaRinoa

03-11-2010, 03:04 PM

has anyone found any side quests or anything at all that isnt just 'walk, fight, fmv' yet? im about 12hrs in, on disk2. i mean it is going to have a free-running half, not just a linear story right? this game seems to be all about the story and not much else. they really might as well have just made this a movie instead of a game.

i still looove it to bits though! the characters r sooo much better then ff12, and the graphics r amazing. the battles r nicely dynamic, but the leveling up system seems tacked on. ahh but weapon/ accesory upgrades r a nice idea.

achievements unlocking at the Start of chapters, not the end, seems odd. im really hoping theres gonna be some super-bosses when we finally get to have some free travel, if that ever happens...
I'm starting to think the "play as you feel" aspect is going to come in much closer to the end. Maybe this game is made so you are pushed into doing the story first (or at least the majority of it) and then you can get stuck into side quests/hunts etc.

Also, does anybody else find it annoying when you're walking about and someone in your party will say something, but unless you're facing them it's really quiet and almost impossible to hear? When I hear someone start talking I try to turn around so I can hear it but they have usually finished whatever they were saying by then. Not a huge deal, but on the long stages of wandering it's nice to hear a little conversation. Makes the experience more enjoyable I reckon.

oh, and "Disk2".....?

Edit*
One other thing I'm wondering about. Am I missing something, or is the healing a little broken? I've currently got my party leader as a medic, and when I choose the Cure ability (note, I am not using the auto option, I am doing it manually) I can only seem to use it on one person at a time. Even though I have 3 ATB gauges, they are all associated for 1 enemy/ally. Surely you should be able to spread your actions out as you see fit?

If this is the case then I'm even more disappointed with the battle system. It's good job everything else is picking up the slack, otherwise I might not be as happy with the game as I am.

Harkus

03-11-2010, 03:22 PM

I find that quite annoying too with the healing, attacking not so much because staggering enemies wins battles.

On chapter 8 right now. In a town called Nautilus. Started off like a town. A welcome break from all the fighting. Doesn't have inns or shops but it has NPCs and the like.

Erebus Wraith

03-11-2010, 09:40 PM

after about 4 hours gameplay, are already a million times more deep and developed than in FFXII

My thoughts exactly. My friend came over when I was half way through Chapter 2 and I explained it to him to get him caught up. That's I realized I could have described the entire FF12 story in half the time it took me to talk about the first 1.5 chapters.

Scryer

03-12-2010, 12:02 AM

I don't think so. Imagine it like an FFX just with no towns. I have no idea how that would work tbh.

Although the lack of towns does kind of make me curious as to how the game itself is. I really need a PS3... I think they were kind of experimenting with this game. We'll just see how it goes. It hasn't been released long enough for people to start reacting too intensely. There's bound to be some reactions sooner or later. Be it positive or negative ones.

Basically you buy your stuff at the save points. The whole lack of towns and shops is actually explained a little by the story.

Ok, I am past Nautilus and honestly, Vanille is pretty awesome in my opinion. Like I don't enjoy "Rikku-characters" at all in the games but I can't help but love Vanille. By the way, having her as the narrator is a very witty choice on their part but I'm not going to spoil anything to you guys, to explain this opinion =P ...

That's I realized I could have described the entire FF12 story in half the time it took me to talk about the first 1.5 chapters.

Part of the problem here, is that you tend to forget some important parts of the story in the midst of all of that painful grinding.

superlusher

03-12-2010, 06:44 AM

i just started chapter 9, and it just reminds me of Sonic and knuckles! ull know what i mean!

i smiled when i heard the chocobo music :) and wait... lyrics! nice touch!

@ Flux
xbox version is 3disks, not sure about the ps3

when ur healers learn Cura it will cure everyone at once, but not by very much.

abit disapointed with Nautilus, was hoping for a nice old-skool town run around, but no... just another line to follow.

if this doesnt get to any free-roaming bit then it might as well have just been made a Movie, cos theres very little 'game' to it. at leats so far. still fingers crossed though

edit: oh and the leveling up thing? just a ridiculasly linear sphere-grid. might as well not exist!

not to say im not enjoying playing it though! :D

CC

03-12-2010, 09:01 AM

Part of the problem here, is that you tend to forget some important parts of the story in the midst of all of that painful grinding.

That, and too many people with ADD.

Harkus

03-12-2010, 12:11 PM

The crystalium divulges a bit more after nautilus.

Only just started upgrading weapons really, a bit late I know. I went from level 4 weapons to level 12 weapons. Planning on only really using Lightning, Fang and Hope for the second half of the game (Lightning- Commando, Fang- Sentinal, Hope- Medic as primary paradgrim) because my guide said they were the best.

I agree, Vanille is awesome.

Sazh confronting Vanille was a heartbreaking cutscene, powerful stuff

superlusher

03-12-2010, 01:47 PM

hope is crap! should have been called hopeless. costing me a nackin fortune on phoenix downs... i dont make a habit of letting ppl get knocked out, but hes just so pathetic! twatty emo kid